Chandel_Neetu

The world ended in fire, tsunamis, and endless catastrophe. Just when humanity faced total annihilation, the last survivors were forcibly transported to isolated islands—each left alone, with nothing but a broken hut and a cryptic system demanding their survival.

Lena, cunning, ruthless, and unyielding, refuses to be controlled. She will carve her own path, build her own strength, and rise higher than anyone expects. But she soon realizes this world is far from empty.

Something stirs beneath the surface. Something watches from the shadows.

He is powerful. Intelligent. Dangerous. And unlike anything—or anyone—she has ever encountered.

He doesn’t belong to the shattered world she left behind. He doesn’t belong to humanity at all.

Their meeting is inevitable. Their fates tangled in ways neither of them understands.

But on an island where the system decides who survives and who perishes, some threats don’t come with claws and teeth. Some are far more seductive. And far deadlier.

Islands of the Forsaken

Lena stood in front of the massive silver door, its smooth surface pulsing with faint, unreadable symbols. Unlike the crumbling ruins above, this structure looked untouched. Waiting.

[Quest Complete: Echoes of the Past]

New Quest Unlocked: The First Vault

Objective: Unlock the sealed chamber and uncover its contents.

Lena exhaled slowly, her fingers twitching at her side. (What's behind this thing? Treasure? A death trap? A cryptic note telling me to try again later?)

She turned to Riven. He was watching the vault—not with curiosity, but with the kind of measured awareness that told her he already had an idea of what was inside.

She narrowed her eyes. "Start talking."

Riven didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a slow step forward, running a hand along the cold metal.

Then, finally—"This wasn't built by the people who lived here."

He glanced at her, his golden eyes unreadable. "The ruins outside? Those were part of an old civilization. This? This came later."

Lena stared at the door. The smooth metal, the intricate carvings, the way the system reacted to it.

Her stomach twisted. (This isn't just history. It's connected to the system itself.)

She took a slow breath. "So, who built it?"

Riven's jaw tightened slightly, like he was debating how much to say. Then—"You're about to find out."

Before she could respond, the symbols on the door flared brighter.

A deep, mechanical click echoed through the chamber.

A rush of cold air spilled from the widening gap. Inside, the vault was… surprisingly small.

Inside the glass chamber, surrounded by blinking lights and shifting energy fields, was a man.

Tall, lean, his dark hair tousled against the smooth surface of the pod. His breathing was steady, too steady—like he wasn't really breathing at all.

Lena's instincts kicked in, knife raised in an instant.

The pod hissed. A metallic voice rang through the chamber.

"Subject #042 Awakening Sequence Initiated."

Riven let out a sharp breath. "Of course."

Lena didn't take her eyes off the pod. "Explain. Now."

The glass slid open with a soft hiss.

The man inside didn't move right away. His breathing hitched, his fingers twitching slightly as if he were remembering how to exist.

And the first thing he did… was smile.

The man stretched, rolling his shoulders like someone waking up from a regular sleep instead of who-knows-how-long inside a vault.

Then, his gaze flickered toward Riven.

"Took you long enough to find me."

Riven's expression didn't change. "It wasn't a priority."

Lena narrowed her eyes. They knew each other.

She crossed her arms. "Alright, someone explain before I stab someone."

The man turned his gaze to her, his eyes sharp but amused.

"Let's start simple." He placed a hand over his chest. "Alek. Formerly human, currently whatever the hell I am now."

Lena exhaled slowly. (I already regret opening this vault.)

Chapter 16: The Vault Opens